SEATTLE -- The bright spot for the Colorado football team on a cold, damp night at Husky Stadium came early.

True freshman quarterback Sefo Liufau connected with wide receiver Paul Richardson streaking deep across the middle of the field with a helpless Husky trailing him late in the first quarter. Richardson hauled in the pass and took it to the house and it looked like the Buffs were ready to give Washington a fight just as they had against UCLA a week earlier.

A few hours later with only the most ardent Husky fans sticking around to celebrate, Richardson's touchdown seemed a distant memory. It was the only score of the night for the Buffs in an embarrassing 59-7 romp.

"We've got to win football games and we didn't have a chance to win tonight," coach Mike MacIntyre said. "I think that's the first time I've completely felt like that."

Washington led 10-0 at the time of Richardson's score and followed it with 49 unanswered points, including 21 in the second quarter that seemed to sap the Buffs' spirit.

MacIntyre and veteran defensive stalwarts Derrick Webb and Parker Orms lamented the Buffs' poor tackling. MacIntyre called it the worst tackling performance of the season. Washington did not attempt a pass in the second half.

"We didn't come to play tonight on defense that's for sure," MacIntyre said. "There was not enough intensity in the tackling area. That's something I've got to fix."

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When CU emerged from the locker room after halftime, the offense fell apart to the delight of most of the 66,599 in the recently renovated stadium.

Liufau, who was playing in front of friends and family who made the short drive north from his home in Tacoma, threw two interceptions and running back Tony Jones fumbled. One of Liufua's interceptions was returned for a touchdown as well as Jones' fumble.

"Lacking consistency, in my opinion," Liufau said about the Buffs' offensive struggles after their lone touchdown. "And it's frustrating because we know what we're capable of.

"... If anyone is to blame, it's myself because I'm the quarterback and the leader of the offense. I just need to do a better job of orchestrating the game."

Liufau completed only 12 of 22 passes for 160 yards. He said he felt like he made the wrong reads on the plays when he was intercepted. Junior Connor Wood came in to relieve him when the game was out of hand.

The Buffs lost for the 14th consecutive time in Pac-12 Conference games and fell to 3-6 overall this season and 0-6 in the league. It also put CU in position of having to win its final three games this season against Cal, USC and at Utah to qualify for a bowl game.

CU hasn't been to the postseason since 2007.

The win made the Huskies bowl eligible once again, five years after going 0-12.

The Buffs came here worried about finding a way to stop both running back Bishop Sankey and quarterback Keith Price. They accomplished neither.

Sankey, the nation's third leading rusher, carried 23 times for 143 yards and one touchdown.

Price, who threw five touchdown passes against the Buffs in Boulder last season, threw only two this year, but also ran for two scores. He later stood on the sideline and watched former Mullen High School quarterback Cyler Miles make several impressive runs.

Price completed 22 of 29 passes for 312 yards.

"I would say it was one of the disappointing ones," MacIntyre said when asked if it was the most disappointing loss of the season. "We just didn't give ourselves a chance at all on defense to even have a chance to win. You know, at all."

The Buffs return to Boulder for the final two home games of the season the next two weeks. The Buffs will likely be favored for a change next week against Cal (1-9, 0-7), the only team with a worse overall record in the Pac-12.

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